Infinite Space Insights: Graviton Beams and Their Tabletop Counterparts

Infinite Space Insights: Graviton Beams and Their Tabletop Counterparts

The Graviton Disintegrator in the Infinite Space trilogy is a unique weapon - not for its characteristics, but for being the only beam-based (and thus non-projectile-based) weapon of any kind ever fielded by the Yellow Kawangi, with each of their Dreadnoughts carrying four such weapons (two up front and two more at the rear). Due to its immense firepower, it (along with the Nova Cannon, which the Yellow Kawangi also fit to their Dreadnoughts, albeit only one per ship) can only be acquired during normal gameplay by creating it from a Timeless Bauble, and even under such circumstances, you'll never be able to have more than one. However, in custom scenarios, it's possible to arm most capital ships with multiple Graviton Disintegrators for a massive increase in damage per second. So how does this weapon work? Let's find out.

As a medium weapon, it can be installed on any capital ship that has at least one universal, medium or large turret. Most factions whose capital ships do not have weapons as fixed equipment are fitted with these turrets as standard, with the Calatians being the sole exception. Their Dreadnought and Super Dreadnought are the only capital ships from that faction with these features, whereas Calatian Cruisers and Destroyers lack such turrets and are thus incompatible with the Disintegrator. However, the Calatians' near-exclusive focus on short- to medium-range combat makes their larger capital ships a good fit for a Disintegrator-based loadout; a Dreadnought or Super Dreadnought armed with one (or, in the latter case, two) of these Yellow Beams of Death (as the player base calls them) can be extremely dangerous to any target that ventures too close to it.

In terms of operating principle, the Graviton Disintegrator emits graviton particles to pull its victims apart through inducing an immense gravitational pull at the point of impact, causing the target to collapse under its own mass. This echoes how its Warhammer 40000 equivalent, the Graviton Destructor and Ruinator, works against small targets (although larger targets are generally immune), with Titan-scale Horus Heresy-era equivalents being potent enough to obliterate other Titans. Similarly, the Graviton Disintegrator is explicitly stated to not having any known defenses against it. This explains why it is inadvisable to attack a Yellow Kawangi Dreadnought at close or even medium range - the Disintegrators will simply tear up any ship that's close enough, so a long-range assault with multiple missile-based weapons (or even a single Nova Cannon or Cobalt Torpedo Tube) is the only viable option for countering such a massive ship without having to use a Limited Vacuum Collapser to overwrite it.

Above, from top: The Graviton Disintegrator in the Infinite Space trilogy may not have the range or availability of the Tachyon Ray Gun, but it is vastly superior in terms of damage per second.

The closest BattleTech equivalent to the Graviton Disintegrator (in terms of firepower) would be the Binary Laser Cannon. Essentially a pair of regular Large Lasers fused together (but weighing 9 tons instead of 10 for dual individual Large Lasers), it generated too much heat relative to the amount of damage delivered compared to a pair of Large Lasers. However, it became viable again after Double Heat Sinks reentered production following the distribution of the contents of the Helm Memory Core, and in MechWarrior Online it serves as a shorter-ranged, but lighter, alternative to paired Large Lasers.

Within the context of MWO, two Binary Laser Cannons (which are distinguished by their white beams) should be sufficient for most Heavy and Assault 'Mechs; some chassis can safely handle three, but four is generally overkill in terms of mass and cooling requirements. However, in the right hands, Binary Lasers can be even more effective than any other Large Laser within their range profile. A common strategy is to combine a pair of Binary Lasers with several Inner Sphere Extended Range Medium Lasers, thus providing a viable backup option and good range synergy.

Above: This Stalker STK-7D is a good example of a Binary Laser-based build in MWO, where the ER Medium Lasers serve as backup for its main armament - a pair of Binary Laser Cannons that complement the Medium Lasers perfectly in terms of range profile.

In short, Graviton Disintegrators may be among the rarest weapons in the Infinite Space trilogy, but they can be among the most potent in the player's inventory if they can acquire one, by performing a similar function to graviton-based weapons and Binary Lasers in Warhammer 40000 and BattleTech, respectively, as among the deadliest beam weapons (if not the deadliest) in their respective fictional universes.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 29: Using Component Armor to Absorb Unused Mass

MechDB Misadventures, Part 29: Using Component Armor to Absorb Unused Mass

Although MechWarrior Online does not (yet) support Component Armor, adapting it from the BattleTech tabletop game would be straightforward, since it only requires 0.5 tons of extra mass per critical slot for any component (except for the cockpit, which requires 1 ton per critical slot), and its ability for each affected critical slot to absorb a critical hit before being exposed would most likely be simulated by a per-slot durability buff. For example, adding Component Armor to a Medium Laser (which would normally weigh 1 ton and occupy 1 critical slot) would increase its mass to 1.5 tons. However, this upgrade costs 150,000 C-Bills for every critical slot that the resulting armored component occupies. In any case, for those that can afford it (in terms of spare tonnage and cost), it'd be a great way to use surplus mass for reducing critical hit probability.

Here's a simple example to show where component armor can be useful. This Jenner JR7-F has been configured as follows:

Above: This loadout for the Jenner JR7-F is a ton underweight - but that spare ton of mass can be used for component armor in some places.

Despite having a mass limit of 35 tons, this setup weighs 34 tons - 1 less than its maximum capacity in terms of tonnage. However, even though every critical slot on this loadout is occupied, we can still reach our 35-ton target by installing 1 ton of component armor. There are three main ways this armor can be allocated throughout the 'Mech:

• 0.5 tons for each shoulder actuator (to make each arm more difficult to blow off)
• 0.5 tons for each hip actuator (to make each leg less likely to fall off in the event of a critical hit)
• 1 ton for the cockpit (thus forcing any attacking unit to score two critical hits to destroy it)

All three of these options are as attractive as they are effective - the former two ensure that the 'Mech's firepower and agility, respectively, are less likely to be compromised while it's under fire, and the last of these improves the crew's chance of survival in any situation where its cockpit is more likely to be targeted directly. There's only enough spare tonnage for one of these choices, though, so you must choose carefully as to where you'll apply the 1 ton of component armor this loadout can carry. Just for fun, armoring every non-structural component (i.e., anything not occupied by its endo-steel structure or ferro-fibrous armor) on this loadout requires 15.5 tons of component armor - nearly half of the 'Mech's total mass, and 14.5 more than what it can safely carry.

In short, armored components may be heavier and more expensive (on a per-critical slot basis) than regular ones, but they can be useful in safeguarding against critical hits.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 28: Zombie Grasshoppers

MechDB Misadventures, Part 28: Zombie Grasshoppers

It didn't take long for me to revisit the idea of the Grasshopper GHR-5H as a true Zombie 'Mech (BattleTech slang for a BattleMech that carries energy weapons exclusively, along with a standard engine and enough heat sinks and armor to maintain an adequate level of survivability and sustainability) and add more firepower to it. The resulting loadout is as follows:

Above: A more lore-accurate take on my custom Grasshopper GHR-5H setup, now with a tabletop-accurate 280-rated engine for a bit more speed, and dual ER PPCs combined with five medium lasers to make it more of a bracket build (PPCs for long range, medium lasers for shorter ranges). Despite having one less heat sink, it's still a viable build under tabletop rules (I used an ASP to simulate a tabletop-sized Beagle Active Probe for this one, even though it requires one fewer critical slot and must be placed in the head under MechWarrior Online MechLab rules).

Taking the idea further, I could create a hypothetical GHR-5E variant that swaps the left torso AMS slot for a Guardian ECM slot, to accommodate such a system where the AMS once resided, and move the arm-mounted medium lasers to the center torso and head, thus forcing the Beagle Active Probe to be mounted in the right torso. The result has a narrower profile for all practical purposes, since the arms don't carry any equipment, although it runs hotter than the original quad-ER Large Laser build, so you'll need to manage your heat more efficiently to exploit its potential.

In short, although more heat-intensive, this Grasshopper variant proposal is not only faster, but harder-hitting, with actual headchopper potential - and nobody would want to underestimate those attributes when applied to any heavy or assault 'Mech.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 27: Patience, Grasshopper!

MechDB Misadventures, Part 27: Patience, Grasshopper!

I recently gave MechDB another try and attempted to create a loadout for the Grasshopper GHR-5H that would translate well to BattleTech tabletop rules, even though it might not necessarily be as effective in MechWarrior Online. Eventually, I came up with this all-energy setup with four ER Large Lasers (two per side torso), a standard Medium Laser in the center torso, 16 Double Heat Sinks (two of them in each side torso, and another one in each arm, to complement the 10 heat sinks built into its 270-rated standard engine), an AMS (Anti-Missile System) to simulate a Beagle Active Probe, four jump jets, and 13.5 tons of standard armor over an Endo-Steel internal structure, as follows:

Above: A proposal for a tabletop-friendly Grasshopper GHR-5H build I created in MechDB. While its relatively low combined alpha strike damage (41 points under MWO rules) and absence of melee functionality might make it ill-suited to the game, even when considering its excellent heat capacity and numerous quirks, its zombie status (bestowed upon it due to having a standard engine and an all-energy loadout, with a center torso-mounted Medium Laser as a backup weapon that remains usable even if both side torsos are blown off) and the more generous heat generation rules (such as the absence of MWO's heat scaling and Double Heat Sinks providing a 100% per-item heat capacity increase instead of MWO's 40%), when combined with hand actuators for improved melee accuracy, make it very annoying to face in combat, especially if you swap the AMS with a Beagle Active Probe to give it the ability to detect ECM-equipped units.

Under tabletop rules, this loadout can dissipate 32 heat per turn (2 per Double Heat Sink) while generating only 51 heat during an alpha strike (55 if jumping while performing such an action), for a net heat buildup of only 23 per turn, making alpha strike salvos more sustainable. A Grasshopper GHR-5H so equipped could serve as a highly mobile sniper or skirmisher, and could be more survivable due to carrying as much standard armor as a 70-ton heavy 'Mech can have (13.5 tons as opposed to the 13 found in the stock setup).

In short, for combining maximum durability and immense staying power with surprising agility during the Clan Invasion era, this customized Grasshopper GHR-5H is tough to beat on the tabletop, regardless of whether you fill the 1.5 tons and 2 critical slots of unused mass and space, respectively, with an Anti-Missile System or Beagle Active Probe. With a few tweaks to the loadout to make it better suited to the faster-paced gameplay style of MechWarrior Online, it can be equally effective there, too, if you're brave enough to trade durability for speed with the following setup:

Above: Swapping the 270-rated standard engine for a 325-rated Extralight (XL) unit reduces this Grasshopper GHR-5H variant's survivability somewhat, but increases its top speed frees up extra mass for the fitment of two more medium lasers; upgrading them (along with the single center torso-mounted one) to extended-range versions helps them synergize better with the four Large Lasers, which have been downgraded to regular items to improve heat efficiency. Also, with the presence of heat scaling in MWO and a milder 40% heat efficiency bonus for double heat sinks (as opposed to the tabletop game's 100%), the extra heat sink is much appreciated here.

There are many other Grasshopper variants in MWO that can run these exact loadouts, but the GHR-5H is one of the most (if not the most) flexible variant out there. So go ahead and try out some Grasshoppers if you get the chance - you won't be disappointed!

A Lifer's Diary, Part 17: Revenge over Lawsuits - Which One's Better?

A Lifer's Diary, Part 17: Revenge over Lawsuits - Which One's Better?

Within The Game of Life, the concept of collecting money directly from an opponent by landing on a certain space (as opposed to having an opponent land on a space of a specific type) is not new, having first debuted with the Revenge mechanic in Generation I. It worked by collecting your salary from an opponent when you landed on a Pay Day space, but was strangely absent from Generation II (except in its video game adaptation, and even then, only in Enhanced Mode, where it could not be used against anyone who retired at Countryside Acres), only to be reintroduced in Generation III via the Lawsuit mechanic. This time, you had to land on a blue Lawsuit space to sue an opponent; however, whoever you sued won't have to pay you anything at all if they give you an Exemption Card. 

In Generation IV, Lawsuits returned, but only as part of two specific Action Cards; instead, they linked the Long-Term Investment numbers to the various Career Cards, and reworked them so that the player  holding that particular card would collect cash whenever anyone (including themselves) spun its number. Finally, in Generation V, there are once again Lawsuit spaces, but there are fewer of them, although investments must once again be bought manually, and are therefore no longer tied to careers (except in the spin-off video game adaptation, The Game of Life 2, which uses a different rule set).

While I liked the Revenge mechanic from Generations I and II, the logic behind it was flawed; it was most effective if your salary was high enough (although this raised the problem of players with such high salaries getting too far ahead if they got really lucky). On the other hand, if your salary was too low, you wouldn't be able to hinder your opponents as much as you hoped you would (even if you landed on Pay Day spaces often enough). It was for this reason that the standard ruleset for Generation II lacked this feature; unsurprisingly, later generations also forewent Revenge in favor of other means of disrupting opponents' progress as stated above.

On the other hand, I found the Lawsuit system in Generation III to be far more balanced. With only 8 Lawsuit spaces on the entire board, you can now only earn up to $800,000 from Lawsuits (assuming all of them are successful, and you also take the Risky Path where the penultimate Lawsuit space is found), but you are guaranteed to collect $100,000 for every successful lawsuit. In later generations, they are less lucrative, and the fact that you can now actually gain more money from your opponents through you investment number complicates matters even further.

So while the idea of reintroducing Revenge (by collecting your salary directly from any opponent who has not yet retired at Countryside Acres) through landing exactly on a Pay Day space is tempting, it's not as good an idea as you'd think. However, the Lawsuit system was never better implemented than in its debut for Generation III, and I'd like to see Generation VI revert to those original Lawsuit rules, even though they were still quite good in Generations IV and V. In short, Lawsuits are more useful in the Game of Life compared to revenge because although you get fewer chances to use them, you'll get the same amount of money from them every time you do so.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 14: Mad Dog Sigma Revenant

MechDB Misadventures, Part 14: Mad Dog Sigma Revenant

The recent introduction of a new Mad Dog/Vulture variant (the Legendary MDD-SI "Sigma") to MechWarrior Online has raised a few questions - and eyebrows, given that no other variants have jump jets in their OmniPods. However, the Sigma's set of 8 is currently of dubious utility due to excessive screen shake when using jump jets (even with all applicable skill tree upgrades) and a lack of hardpoints outside of the side torsos (which have two jump jets and one energy hardpoint each). As such, it is best to combine the Sigma side torsos with other OmniPods and/or other center torso options (such as that of the MDD-RV "Revenant", which has two extra energy hardpoints) to make the resulting build more viable than anything with the Sigma's OmniPod set bonus.

One idea requires using the MDD-B right arm and MDD-H left arm OmniPods (which have three energy hardpoints each) with the Revenant center torso and Sigma side torsos, for a total of 10 across the 'Mech, placing a Clan Small Pulse Laser in each energy hardpoint, and filling the remaining unused space with Clan Double Heat Sinks (for a total of 24). The resulting loadout is an agile brawler with lots of spare heat capacity to keep blasting away at its foes constantly, even without skill tree upgrades.

Above: Turning the Mad Dog Revenant into a brawler requires fitting the B right arm, H left arm, and Sigma side torsos to give it four jump jets and 10 energy hardpoints - the latter of which all have Clan Small Pulse Lasers placed in them for maximum DPS - with 12 additional Double Heat Sinks occupying the leftover critical slots, ensuring that the 'Mech can easily cover its heat load.

Although it is possible to replace the torso-mounted Small Pulse Lasers with Clan Medium Pulse Lasers, you'd need to remove four Double Heat Sinks to free up the necessary weight for this modification, leading to a reduction in sustained DPS. However, if you instead keep all of the Revenant OmniPods and center torso (except for the side torsos, both of which will be replaced by those of the Sigma), you may get a more optimized setup out of it. Place a Clan Heavy Large Laser in the Sigma side torsos' hardpoints, then place a Clan ER Medium Laser in the Revenant arms' energy hardpoints (the Sigma side torsos and Revenant arms only have one such hardpoint each). Now put an additional Clan ER Medium Laser in both of the Revenant center torso energy hardpoints, and fit 10 Clan Double Heat Sinks to soak up the extra heat. 

The resulting Sigma/Revenant hybrid retains the agility of the former, but grants the extra flexibility of the latter, yielding some extra firepower and better quirks when compared to a stock Sigma. However, arming it with just a quartet of Clan ER Large Lasers instead is not recommended; even when fired two at a time (thus avoiding ghost heat), the 18 double heat sinks (20 if you swapped out three tons of armor to accommodate them along with a Mk1 Targeting Computer) may not be enough to soak up all the extra heat.

Above: With the stock Mad Dog MDD-SI "Sigma" not being as viable as hoped initially, a Sigma/Revenant hybrid setup such as the one shown here may be the best option for those who want a Mad Dog/Vulture with jump jets. Below: It is possible to configure the MDD-RV with the MDD-SI side torsos and turn it into a sniper with a quartet of Clan ER Large Lasers, but I wouldn't recommend it, since 18 double heat sinks (20 if you stripped back the arm and leg armor, as shown here) are insufficient to dissipate the high heat load, even when firing those lasers in pairs to avoid ghost heat.

In short, the MDD-SI side torso OmniPods have their place in MWO, but only when combined with other Mad Dog/Vulture center torsos and/or arm OmniPods for additional flexibility and effectiveness. With these changes, however, it can potentially become one of the best - and most enjoyable - variants to use if you like jump jet-assisted laser vomit. This will be even more true after future patches to improve the Sigma's viability (which apply to its OmniPods) are introduced.

A Lifer's Diary: Part 16: Reimagining Generation II for Car Nuts

A Lifer's Diary: Part 16: Reimagining Generation II for Car Nuts

After imagining what Generation III of the Game of Life would look like with a car-themed reskin, I've decided to do the same thing with Generation II, its immediate predecessor. Keep in mind that this particular generation debuted in 1991 and remained in print until 2006 - the longest print run since the 1960 original. However, this was the last generation to not only have separate decks for Career and Salary Cards, but also to have a unified Career Card deck, and it was also the only generation with a unified House card deck. An automotive-themed retheming would therefore only require one each of Segment and Garage Card decks (resulting from a renaming of the Career Card and House decks, respectively), instead of two.

Although taxes would still be called Service in this retheming, Salary Cards would have most likely had to be renamed to Engine Cards, as follows:

• 3-Cylinder (salary $20,000/service $5,000)
• 4-Cylinder (salary $30,000/service $10,000)
• Turbo 4-Cylinder (salary $40,000/service $15,000)
• 6-Cylinder/Rotary (salary $50,000/service $20,000)
• Turbo 6-Cylinder (salary $60,000/service $25,000)
• Small-Block V8 (salary $70,000/service $30,000)
• Big-Block V8 (salary $80,000/service $35,000)
• V10 (salary $90,000/service $40,000)
• V12 (salary $100,000/service $45,000)

Furthermore, the new names of the Segment Cards in Generation II would've been as follows, with the names of those requiring an Engineering School degree being italicized:

• Hatchback (replaces Salesperson)
• Sedan/Wagon (replaces Travel Agent/Computer Consultant)
• Van/Minivan (replaces Teacher)
• SUV/Truck (replaces Police Officer)
• Muscle/Pony (replaces Artist)
• Luxury Car (replaces Accountant)
• Sports Car (replaces Superstar/Entertainer)
• Supercar (replaces Athlete)
• Hypercar (replaces Doctor)

In addition, House Cards would now have had to be called Garage Cards, as follows:

• Small Garage (replaces Split-Level; cost $40,000/insurance $10,000/resale $60,000)
• Medium Garage (replaces Mobile Home; cost $60,000/insurance $15,000/resale $90,000)
• Small Dealer (replaces Log Cabin; cost $80,000/insurance $20,000/resale $120,000)
• Large Garage (replaces Cozy Condo; cost $100,000/insurance $25,000/resale $150,000)
• Main Dealer (replaces Dutch Colonial; cost $120,000/insurance $30,000/resale $180,000)
• Super Garage (replaces Beach House; cost $140,000/insurance $35,000/resale $210,000)
• Road Course (replaces Farmhouse; cost $160,000/insurance $40,000/resale $240,000) 
• Luxury Showroom (replaces Tudor; cost $180,000/insurance $45,000/resale $270,000)
• Superspeedway (replaces Victorian; cost $200,000/insurance $50,000/resale $300,000)

Moreover, Stock Cards would have been renamed to Part Cards, as follows:

• 1: Engine/Exhaust
• 2: Gearbox/Drivetrain
• 3: Suspension
• 4: Wheels/Tires
• 5: Forced Induction
• 6: Body/Chassis
• 7: Aerodynamics
• 8: Interior/Audio/Safety
• 9: Lights/Accessories

Other changes include renaming the Get Married, Lose Your Job/Mid-Life Crisis, Stock Market Boom, Stock Market Crash, and Baby/Twins spaces to "Hire Test Driver", "Change Manufacturers", "New Part Contract", "Part Supplier Closes", and "Get A Fan/Get 2 Fans", respectively. Furthermore, all other spaces would have to be renamed in accordance with the automotive-themed reskin.

As in Generation III, Life Tiles would retain their default values and names, but with different descriptions to match the new theme. The two retirement options, Countryside Acres and Millionaire Estates, would now be called Private Garage and Motor Museum, respectively, but they would still have the same effect as before. Pay Raises (which were introduced in Generation III) would've been called Tune-Ups here, had they been featured - but they weren't in Generation II, which makes that issue moot. Finally, the movers would have had a different, sleeker, more sports car-like shape instead of the more angular minivan/SUV-like forms found in the original game.

In short, had a Car Crazy Edition (my suggestion for the new theme's name) of Generation II of The Game of Life been made, it could have convinced Hasbro to do the same for Generation III - which is something I've already discussed. And had that one also been greenlit and gone on to become a commercial success, they could have done the same thing for at least the next Generation or two. Those, however, should be stories for another time.

Comparing Mass Drivers in Infinite Space and BattleTech: Similarities and Differences

Comparing Mass Drivers in Infinite Space and BattleTech: Similarities and Differences

In the Infinite Space trilogy, a Mass Driver is a capital ship-mounted weapon that functions like a hybrid of a Micro-Meteorite Gun and Gauss Cannon. The resulting weapon spits out a cluster of molten metal fragments in a spread pattern over moderate ranges. However, the Tan Ru Dominator, is the only capital ship that carries at least one of this weapon in their default loadout, and even then, it faces backwards, to deter pursuers. There's a good reason for this, though: the Mass Driver's wide spread pattern makes it highly inaccurate beyond point-blank range (especially against unshielded ship hulls), which limits its usefulness. As such, it is best combined with other weapons (preferably longer-ranged ones) if you want to get the most out of it. Within its short effective range, however, it can be very devastating, especially when used in conjunction with a targeting computer of some sort.

Above, from top: Mass Drivers in Sea of Stars are not very accurate at longer ranges, but are very effective up close.

The range profile of the Mass Driver makes it well suited to sneak attacks using cloaking devices: stick it on a cloaked capital ship (preferably a fast one), get it close enough to a target, then have it decloak and attack - it will chew up its victim in seconds.

Mass Drivers in BattleTech, however, are nothing like the ones in Sea of Stars; they are instead massively scaled-up versions of Gauss Rifles that have not only been used by civilian mining and manufacturing companies, but also as capital ship and space station-mounted military weapons. Due to their extreme mass, size, cost, inaccuracy, and destructive potential, however, their use is highly restricted, even in the most desperate circumstances imaginable. Instead, the Clan Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle (and its Inner Sphere equivalent, the Silver Bullet Gauss Rifle) serve as the BattleMech-sized equivalents of Sea of Stars' Mass Driver. Both weapons fire a cluster of small-caliber slugs instead of a single larger-caliber shell, thus increasing the damage done and, in the case of HAGs, the amount of heat generated.

An example of a Clan Stone Rhino/Behemoth armed with an Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle 40 in each arm (above) and a King Crab carrying a pair of arm-mounted Silver Bullet Gauss Rifles (below) in MechDB, a tool for creating custom loadouts for MechWarrior Online.

The Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle and Silver Bullet Gauss Rifle are recent additions to the growing arsenal of weapons in MWO - both were only introduced in the past few years - but they are among the most powerful ballistic weapons available. Clan HAGs come in three sizes (20, 30, and 40), allowing you to choose a type depending on the amount of unused mass and critical slots available. Inner Sphere SBGs, on the other hand, are not yet counted towards the heat scale limit in the same way that regular Gauss Rifles and PPCs are, while requiring the same amount of mass and critical slots as a standard Gauss Rifle or Clan HAG does. Regardless, the tight spread of HAGs and SBGs makes them quite accurate at long range, although both of them are just as effective at closer ranges.

In short, the Mass Driver in Sea of Stars is very different from its BattleTech counterpart, but once you learn how, when, and where to use it, it can be just as effective as most other weapons in its price range.

A Lifer's Diary, Part 15: A Car-Themed Reskin of Generation III?

A Lifer's Diary, Part 15: A Car-Themed Reskin of Generation III?

After discovering that Generations II and III of The Game of Life were also available in at least one reskinned version each (including a Rock Star Edition), I immediately started thinking about what a car-themed special edition of Generation III could (and would) have looked like. Since the other reskinned versions replaced the text on all spaces to match the theme, this hypothetical version would've received the same treatment. For example, the Lose Your Job spaces could be renamed to "Join New Manufacturer", while the Get Married space would be renamed "Hire Test Driver". Moreover, as with the Rock Star Edition, the Baby spaces (including the Twins spaces) should be renamed to "Gain a Fan (or Gain 2 Fans)" spaces. On top of that, the Taxes Due spaces should now be referred to as "Service Due" spaces, even though their purpose would remain unchanged; Pay Raises, meanwhile, would now be called "Tune-Ups" instead. Finally, the salaries for each career could be renamed Engines, with each Segment having a specific engine configuration corresponding to a real-life car from the era.

The biggest change would be to the Career and College Career Cards; whereas the Rock Star Edition, for example, had all cards from both decks renamed after band positions (and even referred to the latter deck as "Institute of Music Career" cards), this time, the Career Cards would have to be called Segment Cards (in reference to various automotive market segments), and separated into two decks (normal Segment Cards and Premium Segment Cards). It is highly likely that the normal Segment Cards would've been as follows:

• Subcompact (1.6L 16v DOHC I4 Turbo Engine - salary range equivalent $20,000 to $50,000; service cost $5,000; replaces Salesperson)
• Compact (2.0L 16v DOHC I4 Turbo Engine - salary range equivalent $30,000 to $60,000; service cost $10,000; replaces Mechanic)
• Midsize Sedan/Wagon (3.0L 24v DOHC V6 Engine - salary range equivalent $30,000 to $60,000; service cost $10,000; replaces Hair Stylist)
• SUV/Truck/Van (3.8L 12v OHV V6 Engine - salary range equivalent $40,000 to $70,000; service cost $15,000; replaces Police Officer)
• Muscle/Pony (7.0L 16v OHV V8 Engine - salary range equivalent $50,000 and up; service cost $20,000; replaces Entertainer)
• Sports Car (3.6L 24v DOHC F6 Engine - salary range equivalent $60,000 and up; service cost $25,000; replaces Athlete)

In addition, the Premium Segment Cards (which you could also start off with, but only if you began the game by choosing the Racing School option, which is equivalent to Start College in the vanilla game) would also have been renamed as follows:

• Premium SUV/Truck/Van (6.0L 16v OHV V8 Engine - salary range equivalent $40,000 to $70,000; service cost $15,000; replaces Teacher)
• Premium Sedan/Wagon (3.0L 24v DOHC I6 Turbo Engine - salary range equivalent $50,000 to $80,000; service cost $20,000; replaces Computer Designer)
• Sports/Luxury Sedan (6.8L 16v OHV V8 Turbo Engine - salary range equivalent $70,000 to $110,000; service cost $30,000; replaces Accountant)
• Luxury Coupe/Convertible (6.0L 48v DOHC V12 Engine -  salary range equivalent $80,000 to $120,000; service cost $35,000; replaces Veterinarian)
• Supercar (4.3L 32v DOHC V8 Engine - salary range equivalent $90,000 and up; service cost $40,000; replaces Lawyer)
• Hypercar (6.5L 48v DOHC V12 Engine - salary range equivalent $100,000 and up; service cost $45,000; replaces Doctor)

As in the vanilla version of Generation III of the Game of Life, the SUV/Truck/Van would still retain the ability to collect $5,000 from any opponent that spins a 10, although I have proposed a house rule that removes this specific ability altogether.

Also, unlike in the vanilla edition of Generation III, the movers for each player would most likely have had a sleeker and more diverse look, with some of them being more akin to a sports car or supercar (or even a hypercar) than a sedan, SUV or minivan (as has been the case with all the vanilla sets to date). More to the point, instead of being visually identical apart from their exterior colors, they could even have different designs each: one or two with American design influences, another with an Asian-inspired design, and the rest having European-style aesthetics, for example.

To reinforce the retheming even further, the Starter Home and House Cards would've also been renamed as Starter Garage and Super Garage Cards, respectively. One suggestion for the Starter Garage Cards would therefore be as follows:

• Small 1-Car Garage (buy for $80,000; sell for $80,000; replaces Mobile Home)
• Medium Detached Garage (buy for $100,000; sell for $105,000; replaces Condo)
• 2-Car Detached Garage (buy for $120,000; sell for $140,000; replaces Log Cabin)
• 3-Car Garage (buy for $140,000; sell for $160,000; replaces Ranch Style)
• Small Independent Dealer (buy for $160,000; sell for $180,000; replaces Small Cape)
• 5-Car Deluxe Garage (buy for $180,000; sell for $200,000; replaces Tudor Style)

The Super Garage Cards, meanwhile, would most likely be named as follows:

• 6-Car Workshop (buy/sell for $300,000; replaces Double Wide + RV)
• 10-Car Deluxe Workshop (buy/sell for $400,000; replaces Executive Cape)
• Main Dealer Outlet (buy/sell for $500,000; replaces Modern Victorian)
• Private Club Circuit (buy/sell for $600,000; replaces Luxury Mountain Retreat)
• Luxury Super Dealer (buy/sell for $700,000; replaces Penthouse Suite)
• Grand Prix Circuit (buy/sell for $800,000; replaces Mansion)

As with the Rock Star Edition, the Long-Term Investment Cards would be renamed - this time to Part Cards, with each one being car-themed (with names reflecting a specific set of car parts), and one suggestion for these new names would be as follows:

• 1: Engine & Exhaust
• 2: Gearbox & Drivetrain
• 3: Forced Induction & Nitrous
• 4: Suspension, Wheels & Tires
• 5: Aerodynamics
• 6: Brakes
• 7: Body, Chassis & Paint
• 8: Interior, Safety, & Audio
• 9: Lights & Accessories

Finally, the Countryside Acres and Millionaire Estates retirement options in the vanilla game would have had to be renamed to "Private Collector's Garage" and "Mega Motor Museum", respectively, although they would have retained the same sets of pros and cons as before.

These are just some of the changes that would have been made to a car-themed Generation III Game of Life set - there are many others besides the ones listed here (including having gray normal spaces with yellow text resembling roads, instead of yellow ones with black text, in a manner similar to the Rock Star Edition, and with text on all spaces changed accordingly to reflect the automotive retheming) that could also be suggested - but the resulting reskin, had it been made, would have made the Game of Life even more attractive to car enthusiasts everywhere, by making it evoke the drive of a lifetime, and the memories it brings. 

Who knows, it may have aged even better than the vanilla, 50th Anniversary, or Rock Star editions of Generation III sets, and if I had been able to choose between either this or an Automania board game set (which is a different kind of game entirely), I'd choose the former every time - unless I could afford both. It may have been possible for Generations II, IV, and V to receive similar treatment via retheming - but discussion of those will have to wait for another post, mainly because of how different their rulesets are compared to Generation III.

Update (September 13 2025, 1:50am, UTC+7): Added appropriate Engines (size, configuration, and valvetrain) for all Segment Cards (in Regular and Premium decks) as salary range equivalents.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 13: Zombie Bull Sharks

 MechDB Misadventures, Part 13: Zombie Bull Sharks

The Bull Shark, one of a few original BattleMech designs in MechWarrior Online, is another chassis that can be configured as a zombie 'Mech. However, among the various Inner Sphere and Clan variants, the BSK-2 is the only one that lacks provision for anything other than energy weapons. As such, it is the most obvious choice for a zombie build. One such setup is as follows:

Above: The Bull Shark BSK-2 in a zombie sniper configuration, with six ER Large Lasers (three in each side torso) and one Medium Laser each in the center torso and head, cooled down with 17 Double Heat Sinks, while five Jump Jets allow it to leap over obstacles. Without any arm-mounted weapons, its profile is effectively narrowed, and its convergence improved.

Another idea would be to employ the BSK-2 as a brawler, with the following configuration:

Above: This BSK-2 build focuses more on DPS with 3 Large X-Pulse Lasers, 4 Medium X-Pulse Lasers, and 5 Small X-Pulse Lasers - it may have a wider profile due to using all four arm-mounted hardpoints, but it's a necessary evil to accommodate the extra lasers. Even with one less Jump Jet, it will run quite hot, so don't fire too many of your weapons at once!

Or, if you want something that runs colder, you could try this instead:

Above: With six each of Small and Medium X-Pulse Lasers, plus 31 standard Heat Sinks, this build is similar to the previous one, but trades range and firepower for vastly superior heat management, and regains the fifth jump jet found on the sniper build.

Although other variants have at least one head- or center torso-mounted energy hardpoint each, the BSK-2 is the best choice for a zombie build due to its universal -10% heat quirk and greater number of side torso-mounted hardpoints. In short, if you want survivability mixed with agility and a total lack of ammunition dependency (except for normal AMS, if fitted), the Bull Shark with a standard engine and a mostly torso-mounted all-energy loadout is your go-to choice for an assault 'Mech.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 12: Zombierauder II

MechDB Misadventures, Part 12: Zombierauder II

Having discussed the potential of some Annihilator variants to be configured as zombie 'Mechs (ones that not only lack explosive components, but also can only be destroyed if their center torso, head, or legs are shot off, and may even be able to fight back without either side torso being intact), I will do the same thing for the Marauder II. To give you an example, here's a build based on the MAD-4A that exploits this characteristic, with extra heat sinks to cool it down more quickly and easily:

An example of a zombie build for the Marauder II MAD-4A carrying 4 each of standard Large and Medium Lasers. It may seem undergunned, but it has full jump capability and immense heat capacity - an asset in battles which are decided by how often you can attack without overheating.

Taking the idea further, you could place all (or most) of the weapons (and hardpoints) in the torsos and head, with two Large Lasers and a Medium Laser in each side torso, and by adding a ninth energy hardpoint (two in the center torso to complement the one that was moved to the head), you could mount three more medium lasers (necessitating the relocation of the center torso-mounted Class 1 jump jet to one of the legs). While I'm at it, I'd downgrade the engine to a standard 300-rated fusion item, trading speed for some useful spare mass. Some of this would go into a fourth jump jet in the opposite leg (made possible by giving the variant provision for four Jump Jets instead of the usual three), for 2 jump jets per leg (an arrangement similar to the Dark Age era MAD-6S). Finally, there will be room for 22(!) Double Heat Sinks (10 in the engine, 2 in the engine's expansion slots, 2 more in each side torso, and 3 in each arm) in total, plus Inner Sphere CASE (weighing 0.5 tons and occupying 1 critical slot each) to pad out any unused mass or tonnage - I'd only need to remove 6 points of standard armor (leaving 19 tons covering the standard internal structure) to reach the tonnage limit. The resulting 'Mech can not only absorb its heat load very easily, but also jump great distances despite its low ground speed.

As a further variant, if each arm also had three energy hardpoints each (bringing the 'Mech's total to 15), I'd swap out a Double Heat Sink in each arm (along with the CASE in both side torsos) to fit six Small Lasers there. While it will run hotter, it will be more potent at closer ranges. Upgrading to extended-range lasers is possible, but this change on its own will also increase the heat load even further. My advice would be to keep the three arm-mounted Double Heat Sinks, replace the regular Large Lasers with extended-range ones (for long-range poptarting), and retain the double CASE (or swap it out, along with a half-ton of armor, for an AMS with one ton of ammo if you're paranoid about missile fire), and leave everything else as-is. You'll have a true zombie assault 'Mech that can absorb immense amounts of damage and jump like a lighter 'Mech, while still being able to pump out near-constant alpha strikes (61 damage each) for surprisingly long periods of time until you get close to the heat limit (although using the Jump Jets will heat it up even more quickly, so don't do it too often!), all without any ammunition dependency or internal explosion issues to worry the crew.

There are other hypothetical non-canon zombie builds in the 100-ton assault 'Mech class, but the one I'm proposing, with an average-sized engine, 22 Double Heat Sinks to cover 4 and 5 Large and Medium Lasers, respectively (concentrated around the torsos and head) and extra jump range (for a 100-tonner) may well be the most zombie-like of them all. If this one really existed, prepare to annoy your foes to no end!

MechDB Misadventures, Part 9: Grand Summoner

MechDB Misadventures, Part 9: Grand Summoner

A recent update to MechWarrior Online added a new Clan heavy OmniMech to the game - the 70-ton Grand Summoner/Thor II. Although descended from the original Summoner, it trades its predecessor's jump jets for an Endo-Steel structure, saving a fair bit of weight without losing too much internal space. However, the Thor II debuted in 3093 AD in the BattleTech timeline, which makes its inclusion in MWO (whose current setting is around 3067 AD) somewhat anachronistic. Even so, players and fans alike have been wondering for years about how well it would fare if it were to be featured, and I am pleased to say that, despite (or due to) its design philosophy of sacrificing some mobility for even more firepower, it's just as fun to play as its predecessor has always been.

There are currently four variants on offer. The B configuration (with one missile hardpoint each in the arms, plus one and three such hardpoints in the right and left torso OmniPods, respectively) focuses mainly on missiles, and can serve as a brawler or long-range missile boat. An example of the former (with a single Clan ER Large Laser for backup) is shown below.

Above: A custom configuration based on the Grand Summoner/Thor II SMN-II-B set of 8 OmniPods intended primarily for close-range missile brawling, with a Clan ER Large Laser in the center torso for softening up targets at longer ranges while the Grand Summoner closes in for the kill.

The C configuration's hardpoint arrangement generally mimics that of the Summoner SMN-C, but is considered to be more favorable due to having three energy hardpoints (one in each arm and a third in the center torso OmniPod) instead of two, while the ballistic and missile hardpoint now reside in the left and right torsos, respectively. This makes it less prone to being disarmed if both arms are blown off. Although the stock loadout (which combines a Clan LB 20-X Autocannon with a pair of Clan Large Pulse Lasers, a Clan Streak SRM-4 launcher, and a Clan Flamer) is meant for brawling, it can also be used for sniping, as the custom loadout below shows.

Above: A long-range loadout for the Grand Summoner/Thor II SMN-II-C set of 8 OmniPods combining dual Clan ER Large Lasers with a Clan Gauss Rifle for accurate direct-fire sniping, with a Clan LRM-15 launcher assisted by Targeting Acquisition Gear and a Clan Active Probe for some indirect fire support.

Alternatively, you could go all in on Clan ER Large Lasers with this variant; to that end, you must install the B and P right and left torso OmniPods, respectively, since they have an extra energy hardpoint each. Fit a Clan ER Large Laser to each energy hardpoint (of which this custom build has five - one in each arm and side torso, plus a fifth in its center torso), then fill out the remaining critical slots with at least nine Clan Double Heat Sinks - you may swap a ton of armor for a tenth heat sink, a Clan Active Probe, or a Clan Mk1 Targeting Computer if you wish. If you want even more accuracy, you may replace even more heat sinks with a larger Targeting Computer, although you'll sacrifice some heat capacity in the process.

Above: This custom configuration for the Grand Summoner SMN-II-C utilizes the B variant's right torso and the P variant's left torso, gaining two additional energy hardpoints, for a total of five. By filling all of those with Clan ER Large Lasers, and installing ten additional double heat sinks, it can effortlessly snipe at long range for long periods, only stopping to cool down to avoid overheating.

The Hero variant, the SMN-II-T "Talon", focuses heavily on ballistics, with two ballistic hardpoints in each arm and side torso OmniPod. In addition to this, both side torso OmniPods also house an energy hardpoint each, and its fixed center torso-mounted supercharger provides a higher maximum running speed. However, it's unlikely that you'll use more than one pair of ballistic hardpoints with the set of 8, due to tonnage and space limitations. It's still theoretically possible, but not often recommended, as the following build shows:

Above: Fitting eight Clan Heavy Machine Guns to a Grand Summoner Talon is indeed possible, especially with each gun having two tons of ammunition each (16 in all), but this seems excessive even for a Clan heavy OmniMech. When combined with the dual Clan Heavy Large Lasers, though, you can unleash high-DPS salvos for long periods of time.

A more sensible option would be to use only one each of the side torso-mounted ballistic hardpoints and ignore the rest, allowing you to use the arms as shields, or swap their armor for more ammunition or equipment, as shown with the dual Clan Ultra Autocannon/10 build shown below.

Above: With a Clan Ultra Autocannon/10 and Clan Heavy Medium Laser in each side torso, this is a more typical loadout for the Grand Summoner Talon set-of-8. You could remove as much armor from each arm as the chassis allows (plus one point from the head) to install two more tons of ammunition for the autocannons if desired - and I'd recommend this change.

The P variant (an apocryphal configuration created specifically for MWO) has a more generalist hardpoint arrangement: each arm OmniPod has a ballistic and energy hardpoint each, while the left and right torso OmniPods, in addition to having an energy hardpoint each, contain a missile and AMS hardpoint, respectively. Here's an example of a mixed long-range loadout using the SMN-II-P set of 8 OmniPods:

Above: A mix of ballistics, lasers, and even an LRM launcher on this Grand Summoner SMN-II-P make it a deadly long-range combatant, but it tends to run hot if you alpha strike too often.

Finally, the E side torso OmniPods (which are sold separately, and not as part of a base chassis) have four built-in Class III Improved Jump Jets each as fixed equipment. These components have the same space and mass requirements as a Clan Targeting Computer Mk2 (2 tons and 2 critical slots each), but provide more jump distance while also generating less heat. Here's an example of a custom loadout using both of the E side torsos:

Above: This custom Grand Summoner SMN-II-C carries the SMN-II-E side torsos, which have four Improved Jump Jets as fixed equipment, providing unprecedented agility for its mass. This is especially useful for attacking targets from unexpected places using its arm-mounted Beam Lasers.

In short, if you want a Summoner but would rather trade agility for more spare tonnage, the Grand Summoner/Thor II is worth considering, and any loadout with at least one of the E side torso OmniPods can be quite entertaining to play as.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 8: What If the Stalker STK-7D Existed During the Succession Wars?

MechDB Misadventures, Part 8: What If the Stalker STK-7D Existed During the Succession Wars?

For many, the 85-ton Stalker STK-7D is considered to be the epitome of Inner Sphere assault 'Mechs in MechWarrior Online, short of the 100-ton Atlas (and other 100-tonners such as the Annihilator). This is mainly because its cluster of nine torso- and head-mounted energy hardpoints make it well-suited to laser vomit builds, many of which rival Clan equivalents for raw firepower. One of these hardpoints is found in the head, and two more are situated in the center torso. As icing on the cake, each arm contains a missile hardpoint, but these are simply ignored in pure energy-based builds. The only problem with it is that it has very few quirks, but this variant doesn't really need them.

In the original BattleTech tabletop game, however, the STK-7D was introduced in 3062, during the FedCom Civil War era, and originally fielded by the Federated Suns. This made it too new for earlier eras such as the Succession Wars and Clan Invasion eras. As such, I was tempted to ask this question: "What would a Succession Wars-era take on the STK-7D be like?" To that end, I decided to create a build for it exclusively using equipment and technology that was widely available during that era, and nothing that was (re)introduced later. Thus, I had to limit myself to standard SRM and LRM launchers, regular lasers and PPCs, single heat sinks, and standard armor, structure, and engines, with no AMS, targeting computers, or Active Probes. This was the result:

Above: Had the Stalker STK-7D existed during the Succession Wars, this would've been my favored configuration for it. By putting all of my eggs in the energy weapon basket (4x Large Lasers + 5x Medium Lasers = 61 damage), I avoided the problem of ammunition explosions, and to cover the immense heat load, I installed 16 single heat sinks (7 in each side torso + 1 in each leg) to complement the 10 single heat sinks embedded in the 255-rated standard engine.

With 5 Medium Lasers, 4 Large Lasers, and a total of 26 single heat sinks, this Succession Wars-spec Stalker is reminiscent of an Ostsol, but slower, harder-hitting, and even more durable, carrying 16.5 tons of armor (three more than most Stalker variants). It would have been popular with every Great House worth its salt back then, and would have been a mercenary's dream come true - being able to fire constantly without having to worry about ammunition supply (as long as you have enough heat capacity) is a boon for prolonged engagements, especially since this configuration is a zombie 'Mech in the strictest sense - it can continue attacking even after both of its side torsos are blown off, as long as its head, center torso, and either (or in the tabletop, both) of its legs remain intact. And without anything in its arms, its effective profile is much narrower. Combine this with the cost savings resulting from not having any lostech whatsoever, and you have a nigh-unkillable direct-fire build that, in some ways, may well be superior even to an Awesome AWS-8Q for the same purpose.

In short, it's not as primitive as RetroTech (which isn't in MWO anyway), but it's still a handy fallback for when lostech of any kind is completely unavailable. Even in the dark times of the Word of Blake War and the subsequent Dark Ages, it could serve as a handy last resort for anyone desperate for an assault 'Mech that doesn't depend on any form of advanced technology.

MechDB Misadventures, Part 6: The Berserker-Like Stone Rhino

MechDB Misadventures, Part 6: The Berserker-Like Stone Rhino

In BattleTech, one of the most formidable 100-ton BattleMechs introduced after the Clan Invasion era (3050-3052 AD) is the Berserker, a hulking monstrosity with a 400-rated extralight engine and provision for MASC (an acronym for Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry). This gives it a maximum running speed of 64 km/h (or 86 km/h when using MASC) - a boon for when it has to close in on its target, as its melee-focused design dictates. Extrapolated to MechWarrior Online, this equates to a normal maximum speed of 64.8 km/h without MASC, and 81 km/h with it in use. However, the Berserker has not yet been introduced to MWO, since that game does not support functional melee weapons; even if it were, its enormous price (over 32 million C-bills) would make it one of the more expensive offerings, even by Clan standards. Moreover, its Inner Sphere XL engine can be disabled if even one of the Berserker's side torsos are blown off. Still, the possibilities that could arise from having the Berserker in MWO are intriguing, to say the least.

But what if you could combine the movement profile of a Berserker with the superior miniaturization of Clan tech, stick them in a standard BattleMech of identical mass, and add a quartet of jump jets for good measure? The result would be the nimblest and fastest 100-ton BattleMech known to man (outside of experimental designs). What, then, should we use as the basis for such a build? The most promising example is the Stone Rhino SR-K "Koloss", the hero variant, and the only one to have provision for MASC and four jump jets (whereas all other variants can mount only two or three each). Here's the starting point:

Above: This loadout for the Stone Rhino Koloss is the starting point for our quad jump jet, MASC-boosted 400 XL-engined build. To simulate the mass and space requirements of two Clan ER Medium Lasers, a Mk2 Targeting Computer weighing two tons has been fitted to the center torso. If I wanted to put more of my eggs in the offense basket, I could replace the AMS hardpoint with a pair of extra energy hardpoints and stick a Clan ER Medium Laser in each one, trading heat efficiency (and a half-ton of armor) for even more firepower. Swapping the Active Probe for yet another ER medium laser would raise the damage potential to a staggering 74, but reduces the heat efficiency even further.

As you can see, the Koloss' engine cap is the same 350 rating as most other variants, but for the sake of this post, we're raising it to the maximum of 400, as shared with the SR-6. The Clan XL 350 engine weighs 26 tons with all four of its heat sink slots filled; replacing it with a Clan XL 400 engine (which has provision for six extra heat sinks) would add 13.5 tons to the 'Mech if all heat sink expansion slots are filled, which ensures that it would now be on (rather than under) the maximum tonnage limit for the chassis. With the two extra double heat sinks fitted, it should not have too many problems with heat management, even with two Clan ER Medium Lasers installed in the center torso in place of the TC I fitted as a placeholder (although for this change to be possible, the center torso would have its pair of missile hardpoints replaced by a pair of energy hardpoints) And while we're at it, we're filling the remaining two critical slots with lower arm actuators, thus bringing back the original variant's Barrel Fist quirk (which applies only to the tabletop). Even so, it still carries maximum armor for its mass (16 tons of Clan Ferro-Fibrous armor), which would make it an extremely tough nut to crack, especially with its AMS system and Active Probe guarding against missile salvos and hidden threats, respectively.

I'm calling this new variant of the Stone Rhino the SR-B "Berzerk" for its ability to reach unprecedented speeds for a 100-ton 'Mech, in addition to its unrivaled agility. Considering its potential for being overpowered, the Berzerk should either be a Hero or Legendary 'Mech - but it may just be worth the price. At present, the only 100-ton 'Mech in MWO with an engine cap of 400 and provision for MASC is the Kodiak KDK-SB "Spirit Bear", but since that particular chassis lacks provision for Jump Jets, the Berzerk could yet fill that void. OK, so it may seem undergunned on paper, but its all-energy loadout, full load of armor, and surprisingly rapid performance make it more formidable than you think. As for the ramifications of bringing it to the tabletop, everyone would freak out over the idea of something with firepower rivalling a Hellstar 3 and the movement profile of a Berserker, augmented with the jump jet capability of a Kodiak KDK-2. 

Taking the idea further,  I could replace the AMS hardpoint in the right torso with an additional energy hardpoint in each side torso, and stick an extra Clan ER Medium Laser in each one (or better still, have all the Clan ER Large Lasers in the side torsos instead, with each arm having a Clan ER Medium Laser), to further emphasize offense at the expense of less heat efficiency. This increases the alpha strike damage from 56 to 68, and a half-ton of armor removed to avoid going over the tonnage limit. An especially brave MechWarrior could swap the head-mounted Active Probe for a fifth ER medium laser, yielding a whopping 74 alpha strike damage, but making it even more prone to overheating.

Just to show another way to configure the chassis, a possible basis for an adaptation of the Stone Rhino Berzerk with a quartet of Clan ER PPCs instead of the original laser-based loadout is shown below.

Above: This alternate loadout could be a sound basis for a variant of the Stone Rhino Berzerk - upgrading the engine to an XL 390 engine and removing a heat sink would be necessary to reach the tonnage and critical slot limits. It may run hotter, but it hits harder, and crucially, it can jump just as far.

The resulting 'Mech, with a Clan XL 390 engine, and one Double Heat Sink removed to accommodate a lower arm actuator in each arm, would be essentially a slightly slower Hellstar 1, but with the ability to jump over obstacles and temporarily increase its speed, at the cost of requiring more careful heat management - as with the original Berzerk variant, it's meant as a faster, more agile, and wholly ammunition alternative to most other 100-tonners, which are less likely to (be able to) use speed as armor (and firepower). In short, these two hypothetical build suggestions show that there is a strong case to be made for a 100-ton Assault-class 'Mech with a strong focus on mobility to counter any potential shortfalls in raw firepower and armor... up to a point.

Update (September 21st, 2024, 7:35pm UTC+7): After revisiting MechDB, I found out that this configuration for the Stone Rhino SR-6 was the closest match I could find (in terms of tonnage and internal structural configuration) to the Berzerk:

Above: This is as close to my proposed Berzerk variant of the Stone Rhino/Behemoth as MechDB currently allows in terms of tonnage and internal structure configuration.

As approximations to the Stone Rhino SR-B "Berzerk" go, this one comes closest, with dual Clan Medium Pulse Lasers and a Mk IV Targeting Computer to simulate the mass and space requirements of two extra Jump Jets and Clan MASC Mk IV, respectively - but this time, I've replaced the head-mounted Clan ER Medium Laser with a Clan ER Small Laser to regain that missing half-ton of armor. Also, with its entire loadout tucked away in its side torso, its effective profile is now somewhat narrower - although you still have to be careful with your heat management, since it only has 23 heat sinks. And if you actually replaced the MASC, head-mounted ER Small Laser, and a half-ton of armor with a Mk IV Targeting Computer and Clan Active Probe, you'd essentially trade its sprinting ability for better accuracy and the ability to detect hidden targets, which is an equally effective combination. The Berzerk's firepower without the Clan Medium Pulse Lasers, however, would be as follows:

Above: 73 alpha strike damage from a full rainbow of Clan ER Lasers - not bad for a mobility-focused 100-tonner, eh? It still runs hot, though, and deserves some more heat-related quirks (and/or associated Skill Tree upgrades) to be a more viable option - unless you're skilled enough with your laser fire.

With the quirks from the SR-7 variant (another energy boat), its firepower breakdown would be as follows:

Above: This is more like it. The SR-7's heat and range quirks (which I feel should be shared with the Berzerk) are welcome, and help offset the heat penalty of the cooldown reduction quirk (which the Berzerk should not retain). However, when the heat/range quirks are combined with the SR-7's armor quirks, it becomes even tougher still. Whether or not the Berzerk should also have these, I do not know, but I think they would still be helpful for any 100-ton assault 'Mech that places a high emphasis on mobility, as the Berzerk would.

In any case, it'll still be the fastest and most agile 100-ton assault 'Mech of them all (an, even though it runs very hot (unless you stagger your shots) - but it will still be very deadly in the right hands.

Crippling Overspecialization: A Major Problem for Infinite Space Fleet Commanders

Crippling Overspecialization: A Major Problem for Infinite Space Fleet Commanders

Much like BattleTech (and the MechWarrior games spawned from it), the Infinite Space trilogy allows one to customize units (especially in Sea of Stars) to tailor them for a specific role. However, this has the potential to create builds that are either capable of fulfilling multiple roles, but none of them well, or too specialized at one specific task to be truly effective in others. Here, we're discussing the latter - a phenomenon known as crippling overspecialization.

To show this off, let's consider a fleet comprised of just two vessels: a Garthan scout armed with nothing but a Nova Cannon, and a Calatian destroyer carrying four Proton Blasters. The scout's Nova Cannon is well-suited to long-range sniping against capital ships (up to and including Yellow Kawangi dreadnoughts), but its slow fire rate makes it far less effective against fighters. The end result is a high-alpha build that delivers a lot of damage when it hits, and none at all otherwise - but the Scout's innate speed helps mitigate the cannon's inaccuracy to some extent, since it can get into position more quickly. On the other hand, the Calatian destroyer's array of rapid-fire turrets higher fire rate (and hence more damage per second) has a comparatively low alpha strike potential and shorter range. Considering the strengths and weaknesses of these builds, it's therefore best to use the two together, with one ship's specialty compensating for the other's deficiencies.

Above, from top: This battle sequence between a Garthan fleet (comprised of three light carriers and four frigates) and a custom two-ship fleet (consisting of a Calatian destroyer armed with four Proton Blasters, and a Garthan scout carrying a Nova Cannon) shows why having one ship specialized in a specific role is a bad idea unless supported by another specialized ship configured to compensate for the other ship's deficiencies. The scout's long-range weaponry is best used against other capital ships, since its fire rate is too slow to be truly effective against fighters - the exact kind of target that the Calatian Destroyer is generally meant to counter, although that ship's weapons have a shorter maximum range and damage by comparison.

The need to specialize some ships in your fleet within the Infinite Space trilogy reminds me of having to do the same thing in BattleTech (and, by extension, MechWarrior), where some units are configured as long-range snipers, and others are used as close-range brawlers, alongside fast, agile scouts and heavily armed (yet fragile) missile boats providing indirect-fire bombardment. In a typical battle scenario, units of these different types are used in concert, with one type covering the other's weaknesses, and vice versa.

Above, from top: Two examples of highly specialized 'Mech builds from MechWarrior Online. The Firestarter FS9-K is built as a fast, agile brawler with high DPS, and requires a high speed (plus two Jump Jets) to leverage it due to its low tonnage. The Dire Wolf DWF-Prime, on the other hand, has been set up as a slow but strong and powerful sniper, with four Clan ER Large Lasers (fired in pairs to avoid ghost heat) in each arm providing a combined alpha strike of 88 - too much to use in reality, in fact, but still nearly 50% more than a Warhawk Prime carrying four Clan ER PPCs.

In short, just as in BattleTech and MechWarrior, specialization in Infinite Space can be a good idea... until it's taken too far, at which point you'll need another specialized unit to negate the resulting weaknesses in your formation. Even then, you'll need to use them all in concert to create a truly effective fighting force, but when you do, you should not have any trouble conquering the battlefield.